I have just returned from candidating week in Westport, CT, a process you will have the blessing to experience in about two years. I preached for two Sundays and, in the week in between, met with hundreds of people and almost two dozen groups. When the call of the congregation was extended to me and I accepted there was much rejoicing, in large part because the acceptance of a new minister is a relief and a celebration.

I realize that this congregation is just beginning this long journey and for some of us, this is a time of loss and sadness. Francis and I are feeling the loss of our church home here very much. However, while sad in some ways this time of change is exciting in others. You have an excellent new interim minister in the Rev. James Ismael Ford who will be joining you soon. James is an excellent preacher and teacher and you will learn much from him. His Buddhism will be refreshing I am sure and fits so nicely with all that PUC has to offer from its people to its architecture. Soon thereafter you will elect a Ministerial Search Committee and they will begin the long process of surveying the church and searching for your next called minister. Then someday in the Spring of 2017 you too will celebrate a new beginning.

This church has much to celebrate even amidst this transition. One celebration that I encourage you all to attend is the Hearts for the Harbor Gala and Auction this Saturday night. I will be there and so will many of you. Come and enjoy the fun and lets raise some funds for our beloved church. In our time that remains, lets have a little fun as well.

With Grace and Grit,
Rev. John

Pledge from the Heart!

What is PUC about and why do we care? In the words of our Strategic Plan:

VisionWe envision PUC as a recognized leading spiritual community seeking to grow, connect, transform and heal.

MISSION

We gather as a welcoming, progressive congregation where all are free to seek truth and meaning. We put our UU principles into practice by nurturing the spirit,
creating community and working for
justice in the world.

Who's That?

To contact people named in The View please see the PUC Directory which is available in the Members' Section of the PUC website. If you need the password for the Members' Section, or if you do not have access to a computer, contact the PUC Office for help accessing it online. The phone number and office hours are listed each week at the very bottom of The View.

Contents

You can scroll through The View or you can navigate around The View by clicking the items below.

No one likes thinking of money, but once a year we have to be sure we’ve raised enough money to let us spend the rest of the year doing all the things we come to PUC to do. We must have a solid foundation from which to serve our community and the world. It’s time to talk money.

An Easy Way to Help Make our Preschool a Success

Pacific Sage Preschool is still building a name for itself in the community. We are accomplishing this in various ways, including distributing our flyers at local family oriented events and activities and businesses like, but not limited to, coffee shops, grocery stores, and yoga studios.

We are looking for at least 10 volunteers to take some flyers over the next two weeks. You can distribute them at venues you frequent, and perhaps some more you think of. To get your flyers and to have your questions answered contact Pacific Sage Preschool Director Sylvia Lawrence at 424-241-0308.

At a minimum $1,880, just under $160 per month, per individual/family is needed. The truth is not everyone can afford to pay this. Some can’t afford to pledge at all. We are a caring community and every year we count on those who can to pledge more to make up the difference. Please make every attempt to pledge at least this amount, more if you have the good fortune to be able.

Interim Minister Selected

The Interim Task Force and your Board of Trustees have voted unanimously to hire the Rev. James Ismael Ford as our Interim Minister for the next two years. Rev. Ford has agreed to “part-time” service. He has very generously agreed to serving as our minister in all aspects — sermons, pastoral care, staff support, etc. but will be working three weeks out of every four.

Rev. Ford has served as a parish minister for the past 25 years. He graduated from the Pacific School of Religion at the Theological Union in Berkeley, Ca. In addition he has studied Buddhism extensively and holds the title of Roshi (elder teacher) of Zen Buddhism.

James will be retiring after 7 years from the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island in June of this year. He and his wife Jan will be relocating to Long Beach, Ca. We feel most fortunate that circumstances and timing have evolved to allow PUC to benefit from the availability of Rev. Ford beginning in September 2015.

Wondering what will be done with your pledge? A few versions of a draft budget were presented at the Town Hall last Sunday. To see the slides for the presentation go directly to https://pacificunitarian.org/members/financial. If you need the password for the Members Section contact the PUC office or email treasurer@pacificunitarian.org.

Hearts of the Harbor Gala Benefit Update

It’s right around the corner! The first ever Hearts of the Harbor Silent and Live Auction to benefit PUC and Harbor Interfaith Services will be held this Saturday, May 9. We will also be honoring volunteer Barbara Paulsen for her many years of service.

Insider’s Tip
If you cannot attend, have someone bid for you on the items you want.

Who has pledged so far? Ninety-seven individuals/families have pledged, and over half of them have pledged more than they did last year. About 40 individuals/families have not yet shared their intention to pledge. It is imperative that we hear from these 40.

Family Religious Education

There are four weeks left on the regular FRE calendar, after which we will move into summer programming. For these remaining weeks your children's attendance is especially important as we prepare for, and then enjoy, our end of the year activities. Please make every attempt to attend these last few Sundays. (Please note, there are no FRE classes or activities on Memorial Day weekend, though there will be child care.)

May 10 Happy Mother's Day!

Kids will be sung out to regular classes. This will be the last time they meet before their presentation to the Congregation on May 31st. Please attend if possible.

Youth Choir

Voyagers attend adult service.

Coming of Age participants will be presenting the service for the congregation; please come and show your commitment to these amazing youth. You will be impressed!

May 17

Intergenerational Service- Flower Communion

Long Beach Gay Pride Parade

Childcare available for those young folks who do not enjoy the service, but the service is designed with those three and older in mind. If in doubt, feel free to try. You can leave to sign in for childcare and be back to the service in a flash, if necessary.

Coming of Age participants will be at the PRIDE Parade with an amazing float to demonstrate their commitment to justice! If you would like to walk with them, or if you need one of the seats in the truck cab, let Brad Shreve, Maurice Chevalier, or myself know.

May 24 Memorial Day Weekend

No Religious Education this week. Child care is available.

May 31 RE Sundae Sunday

Our RE classes will have short presentations to the congregation. Please attend with children if possible. After the service, there will be the makings for your perfect ice cream sundae.

June 7

Church Retreat at de Benneville Pines

Youth Choir at de Benneville

Also, Camp de Benneville Pines offers summer camp programs for children going into second grade and up. They are wonderful opportunities for children to grow and build self-esteem by being independent from parents and yet protected in a UU environment by wonderful staff. Information is available on their website, or feel free to contact me for further info. There are still a limited amount of slots available at most age levels, and there is commitment to providing scholarships if needed so that no interested camper is unable to have this important experience.

We need to raise $238,000 to continue our work together next year. Current pledges stand at $180,000, a shortfall of $58,000. Help fill the gap so we can continue the great works of PUC. If you haven’t pledged, or if you feel you could pledge more, please do so. If you would like to weigh in about possible cuts, email your comments to Finance@pacificunitarian.org or put them in the Finance Committee’s box in the PUC office by Wednesday, May 13.

Memories Made Here

PUC at Camp de Benneville PinesFriday, Saturday & SundayJune 5, 6 & 7

Come and join Pacific Unitarian Church and the UU Church of Anaheim for our annual Camp de Benneville Pines weekend - a wonderful time for singles, couples, and families, for old hands as well as those new to PUC. Learn more about Camp de Benneville here.

Adult $130

Teen $100

Children ages 2 to 12 $80

Age 2 and under are FREE

See Andy Kissner on the patio Sunday morning, or at andykpuc@gmail.com or 213-595-2093.

Why do I need to make a “pledge of record”? Can’t I put a check in the offertory or just write a check at the end of the year? Simply put, we need to know whether we can afford our staff, our events, our materials, and the basic necessities for running a property, or if there need to be big changes in the way we operate. To be fair to everyone affected we need to know this at the start of the fiscal year.

SAVE THE DATE!

Morehouse Farewell
Saturday, June 136:00 p.m.Henriksen Hall

We will gather to celebrate the time we have been given by Reverend John and Frances Morehouse as they embark upon the next part of their journey. Please mark your calendars for this Cocktail dress soiree. RSVPs will be appreciate once you receive your formal invitations.

How to pledge? You can put your pledge in the box in the PUC office where we have forms. Or you can pledge online at http://pacificunitarian.org/pledge. Or you can email admin@pacificunitarian.org with your intentions. Or you can call the PUC office and leave a message at (310) 378-9449. Or you can talk to Pam Harris, Lee Ann or Gary Hart, or Kim Gosney.

Your Endowment Committee Wants You to Know

There is a free Seminar offered by the Endowment Committee’s Financial Advisor as part of Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s financial health seminar series. Please consider attending:

To be a voting member of the PUC community you must be 18 years old or older, and you/your family must have made a payment toward your pledge of record in the current fiscal year, or have a waiver from the minister.

We Gather Together

Women's Reading and Responding
Book Club Third Mondays
NEXT: May 1811:00 a.m.PUC Library

We have need for additional volunteers to cover 3 hour shifts in the office. We run two shifts on Tuesday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. These times are ideal, but we can adjust whenever necessary.

Also, We have an immediate need to have someone cover the office on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with the office closed during the service.

It’s that time of year, again, for PUC to march in the Long Beach Pride Parade. Most of our Youth Group will be participating, but we need you to join us to show that PUC is open and welcoming to all. The parade is on Sunday, May 17 and start time is 10:30 a.m. Last year’s event was a lot of fun and we expect this years to be the same.

If you are unable to walk the parade route, we have a truck this year that will seat six in the back, so we'd love to have you join us. Seats are available on a first come first serve basis.

If you’d like to join us, and we hope you do, please call or email Brad Shreve or Maurice Chevalier. Phone numbers and email addresses are located in the church directory.

Frank Paulsen is recovering from preparatory surgery for future kidney dialysis. Kevin, Frank and Barbara’s son, has finished his radiation therapy following thyroid surgery. Cards and calls to Frank and Barbara are welcome.

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Come join friends in the PUC Library on Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 and join the Joys and Sorrows Circle. The Circle gives a compassionate space for sharing and listening. Organized by Sandy McNeil.

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To have your joy or concern appear here you may complete one of the Joys and Concerns slips in the back of the Hall and place it in the box, or send it directly to Betty Paieda at joysandconcerns@
pacificunitarian.org

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If you have a pastoral concern, or know of someone in need, please contact Rev. John or email pastoralcare@ pacificunitarian.org.

Both Town Hall and Congregational Meetings are held in Henriksen Hall about half an hour after the end of the Sunday morning worship service. Members are encouraged to attend. Friends of the congregation as well as visitors are welcome to attend.

Pacific Southwest District UUAThe Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian Universalist Association consists of 50 Congregations in Arizona, Southern California and Southern Nevada. The PSWD is also part of the Pacific Western Region of the UUA.http://www.pswduua.org

Camp de Benneville Pines
Affiliated with the Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian-Universalist Association and welcoming people of all faiths for programming compatible with the UU philosophy of respect for the interconnected web of life and for the worth and dignity of all human beings.http://www.uucamp.org